Old Friends
by outsidersfanlovesdally
Summary: "Long time no see" "I could say the same about you" Friends can come from both sides of the tracks, unless of course your brother and the gang finds out...
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own the outsiders, S.E. Hinton does!**

I'm lost, I've lived in Tulsa my entire life and I'm lost. Maybe it's because I've never been to the south side before. Randy invited me over; otherwise I wouldn't have come all this way. Growing up Randy was a greaser but, his dad got a job promotion sending him straight into Soc-vill. I haven't seen or heard of him since, until yesterday when he called me and ask to meet him at his home. I pulled into the driveway of what looks like a mansion, where he met me at the door. "Long time no see Tim," "I could say the same about you Randy" I said as I walked thru the front door. "Sorry for being so blunt, but what happened to your face?!" "A tramp tried to mug me, he caught me with a busted pop bottle" "Oh, are you okay?" "Yeah I'm fine, it happened a while back." "How long ago?" "A few years…" "Tim, I'm sorry but I've got a whole different kind of life now, I can't be around you in public anymore, unless it looks like we're fighting." "I know you're from the other side of the tracks now. You've cut your hair, changed your clothes and moved up in this town." "I wish we could still hang out like we used to" "Me too, your still the same guy. I've had a lot of my friends move up, and then look down on me like I'm trash. I guess you're once a greaser, always a greaser" I said with a smirk. "I guess I am" he said. "Come on let me show you around" So we through the house, it was huge! "Which bedroom do you want to see?" "How many do you have?!" "I have mine, and then I have the one that my other friends think I have." "What's the difference?" "You'll see" then he walked into a big room. The walls were painted a crisp blue. The bed against the wall had a black bedspread. The posters on the wall were of hot rods, and the Beatles. "The Beatles?" I said as I cocked an eyebrow (A trick that I taught Two Bit when we were younger.) "Yeah, now this is the room that my other friends think I have." "You're Soc friends" "Yeah" he said as he closed the door, we went down another hallway. "This is my real room." He said as he opened to a plain white walled room. The bed didn't have a frame and the bedspread was red with black strips. It was messy, but there was a record player and a small bookcase that was packed all the way to the top shelves. The closet door was open and it was filled with ripped jeans and old t-shirts. On the dresser was an opened Bible, a small lamp and an old picture of us on the North Side. Elvis posters hung on the walls and there was a big window that faced the street. I went and picked up the photo. It was taken by my mom, right before she died. We were standing in front of Randy's old house, covered in mud. I had just turned seven and both of my front teeth were missing. The mud fight had started because I called him short. Standing up we were the same height then. Which made me mad, I was a week older! I laughed "I can't believe you still have this!" "Of course, that's me and my best friend growing up!" he looked at me and smiled. We used to be just as close as Randle and middle Curtis. "Hey Tim" "yeah?" "My mom's here" "Do you need me to leave?" "Not at all, you want to stay for dinner?" This is going to be awkward…


	2. Not a dumb hood

**I don't own the Outsiders!**

"Tim, do you want to stay for dinner?" Randy asked me again. "Will she care?!" "No she wouldn't" Randy said in a firm tone. "All you got to do is change your shirt, wash your hands, and come down stairs." "What's wrong with my shirt?" "It's got holes all through it, plus it's stained. That's a shirt that you fight in isn't it?" "Yeah, it is…" "Here, try this" he said as he tossed me a plum colored plaid shirt. "Bathroom's right here" he said as he opened another door. I buttoned and tucked in the shirt. Then washed my hands, I took a look in the mirror. I fixed my hair with the comb I kept in my back pocket, man I looked like a Soc! I opened the door to the sound of Randy laughing at me. "Tim Shepherd, if the greasers back home could see you now! You look more like a Soc, than some of my friends!" "Oh shut up! Whose shirt is this again?" "It's mine, but I am a Soc!" "Let's just go down stairs, I'm starving!" "Alright" he said as we ran down the stairs. "Mom, Tim's here!" "Tim who?!" I heard her ask, as we stopped by the kitchen door. "Timothy Shepherd! It's been a while, how's your momma doing?" She asked as tipped toed to hug my neck. I bent down to let her hug me, "Mom passed, the cancer took her about a year ago… "Oh Timothy, I'm so sorry. She was a fine woman." "Yes ma'am" "We are having hamburgers and French fries, does that sound good to you?" "That sound's great, Mrs. Adderson." "Timothy, you know me better than that, call me Jenny!" I smiled like I haven't since mom died. That reminded me that to her I was still a kid. I wasn't Tim Shepherd the gang leader, or Tim the parent. I was Tim the kid from the old house next door. I had just turned 18 when mom died, and I fought just as hard if not more than Darry to keep my siblings. It was hard to win that case. I was barely old enough to drop out, I had a record but no job and our house was barley still standing. I did the cooking and the cleaning at our house, not that I would admit to it. It's nice not to worry about that for a while. I got a job working nights at the steel mill, two weeks out of every month. I would just tell everyone that I was in the cooler. "How are Charles and Angela doing?" "They are just fine. Curly got in trouble for fighting in school, and Angela got another boyfriend." "I seem to remember another green eyed boy who used to get in fights at school." She said, with a pointed look in my direction. Then she asked "how are you Timothy?" "I've been better; I graduated and got a job. Been taking care of them, the best I know how." "You know that you are always welcome in my house. It doesn't matter what side of the tracks it's on." "Thank you" "Hey Tim, I've got to get the grill ready, you want to help?" "Fine with me" So we went out to the backyard. I was shocked when I saw they still used the same grill from when we were kids. "What was your G.P.A. when you graduated?" "What brought that up?!" "Well everyone I know from up here says you're a dumb hood. I know you're a lot smarter than they think, you did get moved up in elementary school." "I did, but don't go telling the world. I had a 3.7 G.P.A. on the day I graduated." "Tim, that's almost a perfect score, why didn't you get a scholarship?!" "At the time I didn't have a job and 'unemployed gang leader, with four extra pages for a police record' isn't what good collages are looking for." "Smart people who are willing to do the work, is exactly what they are looking for." "Sure if you have the money to pay for it and no reason to stay." "Well you ready to eat?" "Yeah" "Come on" he said as we went inside to eat.


	3. Chapter 3

Old Friends Chapter 3

The food was great, cooked to perfection. I went to put my plate up, but Mrs. S stopped me. "You don't have to do that Timothy, I've got it" I smiled and noticed the clock on the wall. "It's getting late, I'll see y'all later. Thanks for having me." "Anytime, here take these" she said as she handed me two wrapped up plates of food. She went to to hug me. Again. She was a loving women, not unlike my own mom. To bad our dad was a pice of trash. Not even a week after mom died, he got a new girlfriend. It made me sick, she was to good for him. She knew it to, she would tell me to be careful who I was with. "If she wouldn't make a good mother and wife, don't be with her. I made that mistake with your dad. We could have had so much better, Timmy." Well I messed that up when I started going out with Syival. I never wanted her to be my wife, so I broke off are relationship pretty quick. Winston can have her. "Thanks" and I walked out the door. When I got inside the car, I didn't go straight home. I went to visit my mom. I put my hand on the small headstone that I spent my money for a car on. She needed it more. "Hey mom, it's me, Tim. I've been visiting are friends, and everyone is doing good. I really miss you," then it started to rain. "I've got to get back to the house, see you." Then I drove home. I opened the door "Curly, Angela! Come eat!" I yelled. Curly came out of his room first, when he saw me his jaw dropped. When Angela came out, she saw Curly standing there. "What's the matter with you?!" "Look at Tim..." So she turned to look at me, "Curly, it's just a shirt. Don't be so over dramatic." "Who forced you to wear that?" Curly spat at me. "No one, I was visiting some friends. That was just an old worn out shirt." "That was your best fighting shirt!" He yelled "you look like a good-for-nothing Soc! You are disgracing everything we stand for! Take if off!" "No, and you will not speak to me that way." "I can speak to you anyway I want, your not my dad!" "Well I'm the closest thing you got!" "Leave me alone, you Soc! I will tell the gang about this!" "I don't care if you do, come over here!" He did what he was told for once in his life. "I hate to have to do this, but you will not talk to me that way" I said as I took off my belt."turn around" and he did. I gave him three swats on the butt. He didn't say a word, "now here's your dinner, go to your room." He did and closed the door behind him. He just turned fifteen, he thinks I care about that gang more than anything in the world. I am an older brother first and most importantly. "Tim?" Angela asked. "Yeah?" "For what it's worth, I think you look real nice..." I just nodded my head. She continued, "who did you go and see?" "Randy and his mom" "oh, okay." She grabbed her plate, sat down at the table, ate then went to her room. When did it all become so hard? I'm trying to do what's right! I thought as I got a glass of water from the kitchen. I don't have the money or the time to be a Soc. I looked at myself in the mirror that hung in the hallway. But, I can sure look like one when I try. I laughed at the irony.


	4. The photo and the gang finds out

**Authors note: Sorry this chapter is so short! :)**

Chapter four- a backstabbing photo and the gang finds out...

**I don't own the Outsiders!**

The next morning I was woken up by a phone call. Someone called a gang meeting. I changed into a dark grey shirt, my leather jacket, jeans and my boots. When I arrived, the room went silent.

"Tim, I'm concerned" John, my second in command stated."

"About what?! What is so important that I had to be woken up?!" I said angrily.

"Which side are you on Sir?" I have always made them call me Sir. I'm the oldest and the leader, its respect for the position.

"Let me make one thing clear, I am twice the greaser of anyone in this room! So next time anyone of y'all have the audacity to ask me that question, remember who taught you what you know..."

"Then how did Winston get a hold of a picture of you, dressed like this?..." He said as he handed me a picture that was taken last night. I was standing in front of the mirror, in the hallway. I looked like a Soc, and i looked like I liked it. My brother had just stabbed me in the back. Only six words came out of my mouth...

"It's not what it looks like." Then I stood up, walked out and went to find Dallas.

** Please review! :)**


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